Born: March 14, 1969 (Madison, Wisconsin)
Biography:
Mary Claire Cheney (/ˈtʃeɪni/; born March 14, 1969) is the younger of the two daughters of Dick Cheney, the 46th vice president of the United States and 17th United States secretary of defense, and Lynne Cheney. She is involved with a number of political action committees. Mary Cheney was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and grew up in a politically active household. Her father served as the vice president under President George W. Bush and was a prominent figure in American politics.
Growing up, Mary attended McLean High School in McLean, Virginia, where she graduated in the class of 1987. Following in the footsteps of her mother and sister, Mary went on to enroll at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She graduated from there in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in literature.
Mary Cheney’s involvement in politics started early on. In 1993, she became one of the first employees of the newly formed Colorado Rockies baseball team, working in promotions when the team began playing in Denver. After her time with the Rockies, she joined the Coors Brewing Company as a public relations manager and played a significant role in ending a national gay boycott of Coors through her work as a gay outreach coordinator.
Mary Cheney’s political career took off when she became one of her father’s top campaign aides and closest confidantes. In 2003, she was appointed as the Director of Vice Presidential Operations for the Bush-Cheney presidential re-election campaign in 2004, illustrating her influence within her father’s political circle.
Outside of politics, Mary Cheney also had a successful career in the business sector. She served as the vice president of standards and practices at AOL until 2007, where she made significant contributions to shaping the company’s policies and practices.
However, Mary Cheney is perhaps most well-known for her support of same-sex marriage. In 2012, she married her wife, Heather Poe, and became a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She was even a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v. Perry case in 2013.
Mary Cheney’s personal life attracted considerable attention when she announced her pregnancy in 2006. She and Heather Poe were thrilled about the impending arrival of their child. Mary emphasized that the baby was not a political statement but rather a blessing from God. In May 2007, she gave birth to her first child, a son.